North Korea on Saturday lambasted a recent trilateral meeting between South Korea, the US and Japan that discussed peace in the Indo-Pacific region, deriding the talks as an "insult" to peace.
A Ukrainian media outlet has reported that about 500 North Korean soldiers were killed in a missile strike by Kyiv in Russia's western Kursk region.
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said on Sunday that South Korea will have to pay a "dear price" for sending propaganda leaflets across the border the previous day.
NATO and Europe are crying hoarse about North Korean troops being deployed in Russia. According to the Pentagon, about 10,000 North Korean troops are ready to be deployed in the war zone, most of whom are undergoing training in Russia. This would imply strength of about one division.
Guided by Kim, North Korea carried out a "crucial" missile test that set milestones in "perpetuating the absolute superiority" of the country's armed forces, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The timing of the missile launches is interesting. At a time when the attention of the world is focussed on how to contain the spread of the deadly virus, North Korea has controlled information to the outside world and has reported no infections. It has projected an image of normality. Though the country closed the borders and all tourist traffic into the country well in time, it remains to be seen how it remained insulated from the spread of the virus when as many as 177 countries are reeling under its severity. Kim Jong-un often boasts of showing his presence at the site of missile launches but was not seen wearing a mask.
Pyongyang has moved to beef up self-defence capabilities amid stalled denuclearization talks with the US.
US President Donald Trump has boasted of his good relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,
The latest launch by Pyongyang comes as a prolonged hiatus in disarmament talks with the United States drags on.
North Korea has not reported a single coronavirus case, but was widely suspected to be covering up an outbreak.
